Caramel apple cheesecake bars are a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dessert table with their warm fall spices and creamy smooth cheesecake filling.
3mediumGranny Smith Applesor 2 large - peeled, cored, and diced
1/3cupgranulated sugar
1 1/2teaspoonscinnamon
1/2teaspoonnutmeg
1/4teaspoonsalt
Shortbread Base
1cupsalted buttersoftened
1/2cupgranulated sugar
2cupsall-purpose flour
1/4teaspoonsalt
Cheesecake Filling
16ouncescream cheese2 - 8 ounce blocks, at room temperature
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2largeeggsat room temperature
Streusel Topping
1/2cupsalted buttersoftened
1cuplight brown sugarlightly packed
1 3/4cupall-purpose flour
1 1/2teaspoonscinnamon
Other
caramel saucefor drizzling
Instructions
Making the Filling
Add all ingredients for the apple filling to a bowl and stir to coat the apples. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Shortbread Base
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 pan with a piece of foil so you can easily lift out the bars.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the flour and salt until well-combined.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use your hands to spread it evenly into the bottom.
Bake until the shortbread is set along the outside, about 15 minutes. It won’t be fully cooked at this point.
While the shortbread base par-bakes, make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Streusel Topping
Add all ingredients for the streusel topping to a bowl and combine with a fork (or your fingers) until crumbly.
Assembly
Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the par-baked crust, and spread it out evenly.
Stir the apple mixture, and add it on top of the cheesecake filling in as even a layer as you can (including some of the juices, but not all if there is a lot of liquid).
Sprinkle the streusel on top of the apple mixture as evenly as possible.
Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden, about 35 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting. It’s best to let these bars cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before cutting and serving. They will slice easier this way, and it lets the flavors develop. Serve drizzled with caramel sauce.
Notes
If desired, you can flavor the shortbread crust with 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
To make an oatmeal streusel topping, add 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats to the streusel mixture.
I recommend an apple that leans more on the tart side for this recipe as it pairs really well against the sweet cheesecake filling and streusel topping. We used Granny Smith but you can also use Pinky Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold, and even Honeycrisp as a sweeter apple.